


Are You Along for the Ride?

by ENGLivesAndZERO



Category: Left 4 Dead (Video Games)
Genre: "Alive", But I am so excited to finally finish this, Death, Gore, I genuinely like how this is shaping up, I never planned this to be canon, I was supposed to hate Jace, Idk if I'll actually just edit in the final story, It wasn't even supposed to be longer than a few sections, It's been sitting in WordCounter for a month or two now, Oops, Pack, Pack Dynamics, Possibly soon because I have a sudden urge to finish it, Roanoke is my baby and I love him, The plot will still get there, This is going on forever, This was initially based on NerdOut's ARK song, This will be finished someday, WIP, but I'm not even mad, but don't hold me to it, eventually, it's just gonna take a long time, maybe? - Freeform, this was originally a short songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:27:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26503630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ENGLivesAndZERO/pseuds/ENGLivesAndZERO
Summary: So, my character Roanoke, right? What if he got kidnapped and halfway "cured", but reverted to normal? Based on NerdOut's Ark: Valguero song, "Alive".... Aaaaand then I proceeded to go so far off-track I don't know what to do with my life. The end-goal is the same, the plot still remains, but how I get there has changed and changed.What happens when you take a kid away from everything he's ever known, and put him in a group with a zombie? Let's find out!
Kudos: 4





	Are You Along for the Ride?

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is in WIP. No chapters will be added, as this is technically supposed to be a oneshot. Therefore, if you see it's been updated, it means I've added to the body, not another chapter or something.
> 
> Of course, we're in the zombie apocalypse here. Warnings for gore, swearing, cannibalism, etc.

The loud knocking on the door woke him. With a quick scent-check, he determined that his humans were all inside. Therefore, a stranger was at the door.

Their door. Their home.

A loud snarl escaped him, and he crept towards the door. His form was low to the ground, and he focused his gaze on the door handle -- which was now turning in vain.

_"There's no one here! Knock the door in and take out the Hunter!"_

At this, the clicking of multiple guns sounded. The Hunter froze in his tracks, muscles tensing.

"Stop! Stop, we're in here! We're okay!"

That was Gray-eyes. Her expression was fearful. The Hunter didn't like it.

_"There's someone in there! Lower your weapons!"_

There was a pause. Then, another knock.

"Hello?" It was a woman's voice; sharp and sour, but coated in false kindness.

He didn't like that, either. So he growled.

Alpha, the red-haired leader of the group, stepped up to the door. She didn't open it, grabbing her shotgun instead.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" She asked, voice stern and dangerous.

"We're part of the New Beginnings group, and we heard there were some survivors in the area. We apologize for our hasty decision. Along with you, a Hunter as been spotted, and we thought-"

"You thought correctly. He's right here. Now, why the hell are you here?" Alpha wasn't up for games.

Roanoke sneered at the door, a soft growl coming from him.

"We were hoping to recruit you. Survival in nu-"

" _'He's right here'_?? Hold on, is the Hunter in there _with you_?!"

This new voice was softer, quiet and worn, yet hopeful.

"Yes. He is."

" _Please_ let me in! I must see-"

"Jace, get back into your position! We're not here to get you killed."

"We're not interested in joining. Move along. Don't stay around here, go further into the city." Alpha's voice was cold, annoyed.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid we can't do that."

" _Ma'am_ , I'm afraid you **can**."

A few curses came from the other side of the door. Scar-throat had entered the room, aiming his rifle at the door. Gray-eyes was in the corner, her pistol in one hand, and the other in front of the seven-year-old Soft.

Silence fell. Not even Roanoke made a sound. Then, a sigh.

"At least let us see who we're talking to. It's been a very long day, and my crew and I are exhausted. If you let us rest the night, we can pay you handsomely and be on our way." Bitter sounded strained, like she was biting her tongue.

"I don't think-"

"Two-hundred cans of food, ten packs of ammo, and three guns."

Alpha shared a glance with Scar. He nodded.

"... Alright. Be warned -- if you even so much as _try_ and pull anything, you will die. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Roanoke, take Taa and Ilia upstairs. **Keep them safe**. Hear me?" She motioned the instructions to the Hunter, who nodded back.

Slinging the tyke's bag onto his back, Yawp gave a quiet _yip_ , signaling the teen and kid to follow.

Once the Hunter and kids were tucked away upstairs, Alpha opened the door. Her and Scar's guns were both trained on the entryway.

At the front of the group stood a short, stocky woman. Her eyes were a dangerous brown-gold, and her cropped brunette hair gave her a cold, calculated look. Behind her were three more people; a brawny man with curling locks of black, a sinewy woman with dirty blonde hair, and a -quite frail- looking boy with white-blonde hair.

Alpha growled under her breath, but waited for them to introduce themselves.

"My name is Makaela. The men are Parker and Jace, and the woman is Delia. May I ask-"

"Where's the Hunter?! Can I see him?!" the white-blonde moved forward quickly.

"Jace!"

The boy -Jace- ignored Makaela, turning his focus on Alpha.

" _Please_ let me see him! I've seen every Infected but a Hunter and I want to document everything- and-"

"I promise you, it will not end well."

His green blue eyes darted to the scarred man in the corner. Scar-throat huffed.

"Wait, I thought you had him trained?" Jace tilted his head slightly, the boyish-ness of his reaction making it hard for Alpha to not smile.

"Trained? That bastard? He's basically a glorified dog-cat-thing, but he's still got _some_ human in him."

Alpha nodded.

"What he said is true. The Hunter won't hurt us, and he certainly can feel emotions, but he still might very well kill you. He's not a vegan."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't think we ever got your names," the scrawny women hissed, shooting a glare at Jace.

"I'm Alufa. That's Rey."

"And the _others_?"

Alpha - _Alufa_ \- glared at Delia. Her tone was cold and demanding, and the redhead wanted her out.

"Taabish, Zezilia, and Roanoke." Alu responded, her voice curt.

"May we see them?" Parker chirped in.

"Ignore all the soldier training, why don't ya?" Makaela grumbled.

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"If we're going to be resting the night, I'd like to at least know who I'm in here with."

"DOES THAT MEAN I CAN MEET THE HUNTER?!"

Alufa sighed, scrubbing a hand down her face.

"Fine! Fine! But put _**all**_ your weapons over in that cabinet. I'm not doing anything until after."

"But, there's a fucking _Hunter_!! You expect us to trust you?!" Parker's voice was disgusted, and it took all Alu's willpower not to shoot him.

"And you expect us to trust _you_? He's a Hunter. The moment you even think of pulling out a gun or knife, he'd have you gutted. You got that? I'm not saying he's totally-A-okay safe, but you're a helluva lot safer if you don't react."

"I'm not giving up my weapons!"

"Then get your ass out of our house."

"You can't just-"

"Parker, stand down and listen to them." Makaela's voice cut her teammate off, glaring daggers at him.

Once all the weapons had been accounted for and secured, Alufa went upstairs. Jace was on her heels, grinning like a child on Christmas Day.

They didn't get far before a deep, gutteral snarl cut through the air. Alu put a hand out, stopping the kid and motioning for him to be quiet.

"Yawp, it's me. Those people at the door are going to be staying with us tonight. This kid is Jace, and he's the nicest of them. I'm going to bring Ze and Taa downstairs, alright? You can come if you want." Her tone was strong, with an unmistakable authority.

The Hunter was curled around the two, his teeth bared in a snarl, but he complied. As he let go of the two (he'd been gripping Ze's wrist and clutching the child to his chest), Jace darted forwards. Before anyone could react, the white-blonde grabbed the Hunter's face, turning it this way and that.

"Holy shit, look at those teeth!! And his eyes! Can he see? They look glazed, like cataracts or something. Is he safe to be around?"

The questions poured out like a flood, and even Alufa was confused.

The moment of shock passed, and with it, so-too did Roanoke's compliance. With a shriek, the Hunter lunged forward, pinning the kid to the ground with bared teeth.

For the first time, a look of genuine fear crossed the boy's face. Snarls, loud and dangerous, bounced around the room as Roanoke crouched there, practically sitting on Jace's stomach. As a clawed hand rose, prepping for a strike, tears began to trickle down Jace's face.

"Please, I'm, I'm sorry, I just- I didn't mean to, I-"

"Yawp, get off of him. He's just a kid, you can't blame him," Alufa's tone was bored, but it still didn't allow room for defiance.

Reluctantly, the Hunter obeyed, backing off. His glare, however, still pinned the blonde to the floor.

The fear almost completely vanished from the kid as he glanced from Alu to Roanoke. Slowly, he sat up.

"He just.... He..."

"Yes, yes, what did you expect? Him to purr and roll onto his back like a kitten? Did you forget just who -and what- he is?"

There was a pause, then,

"Can I... Can I restart?"

Though he didn't _quite_ understand what he said, Roanoke nodded.

This time, with slow movements, Jace moved forwards. When he got within reach of the Hunter, he offered his hand, palm up and wrist vulnerable.

"Hey," the blonde whispered, voice slow and soft as if he were speaking to a frightened puppy, "I'm Jace. I'm a scien- well, an _assistant_ to a scientist. You're Roanoke, right? I, er, I know this is your home, your nest, but my friends -okay, not friends, team- need a place to stay for the night.

"You don't like them too much, do you? Truthfully," his voice lowered as he leaned closer, "I don't, either. They're kind of mean, and they're very shoot-first-ask-later."

He brightened, sitting up straighter, "I'm not, though! I like watching them. Commons, not so much. They're so far gone... But the Specials? They're fascinating! Save for Tanks and Chargers, their intelligence... They're not mindless creatures.

" _Especially_ Hunters. Traveling in packs, communicating... Hell, I've even seen them take up mates before, and have offspring -I call them pups- and whatnot! They're so fascinating, and I've always wanted to see one up-close! Well, a live one. And a responsive one... Back 'home', there are these rooms -kinda like interrogation rooms- that the scientists keep Infected in. Y'know, _'trying to find a cure'_ and shit.

"And there are a number of Infected, but they're mostly Commons. There's a Smoker, and a Jockey, though. They had a pair of Hunters, though. They were mates, I think, since they were always together. I remember hearing how difficult it was to capture them, because they refused to part. It was kind of sweet, actually. They genuinely cared..." Jace's face fell slightly, his eyes becoming distant and unfocused.

"But then... Then they decided to experiment on them. They knocked them out and separated them. I... I remember the screams. For _days_ , they kept them separated. I don't even want to know what they did to her, but when they put them back together, the male went berserk. Screeching, screaming, howling, sobbing... And she just... Didn't respond. She would sit there, blank and devoid of life.

"And he snapped. I was there when it happened. It was like someone hit a switch. One second, he's curled up with her, purring softly, and the next, he's screaming and clawing at the glass. Someone went in to try and stop him, but they were shredded to ribbons. And then he just... Snapped his own neck. And that was that. He died.

"And then, shortly after, the female stopped breathing. Nothing lead up to it. She just... Stopped."

Jace cleared his throat, shaking his head slightly.

"So I know that Hunters have intelligence. I know they're not the mindless ants the leaders want us to think they are. Shit, I'm right _here_ , in front of you, and you're not ripping me to shreds. Do you know how amazing that is? How honored I feel? It's amazing," when Jace stopped talking, everything seemed to become silent.

Even Roanoke, with his ever-present growls and purrs and gone mute.

He didn't understand all that was just said, not by a long shot, but he _did_ understand emotions (for the most part). And the kid put him at ease.

The Hunter's shoulders lost their tension as he propped himself into a sitting-crouch. He wasn't _quite_ eye-level with the young blonde, but it was close enough. He moved closer, sniffing at Jace.

Then, before anyone could react, he shot forward, pinning the kid to the ground. Roanoke hissed, his nose almost touching Jace's as he bared his teeth.

Then he nodded, licking the blonde's shoulder in a show of acceptance.

"Well, I'll be damned. Looks like this piece of shit claims you as one of us, kid."

The Hunter nodded, hopping over to Alufa's side.

With that, they headed downstairs.

\-----

"Alright, you rested up, now hand over the payment and _leave_. You're pushing your luck enough as-is."

The ever-resting-bitch-faced Makaela glared at Rey, a tight-lipped frown etched across her mouth.

"Very well. Those bags over there have the required items. Now, I wish to speak with Taa for a moment. Alone."

"Absolutely **_not_** ," Alufa was in the woman's face within seconds, knife pointed to her throat.

Picking up on this, Roanoke grabbed the toddler, his lips peeling back into a snarl.

"Relax, I mean no harm. I merely wish to ask how his training is coming along."

"Training?"

"Schooling. Education."

"Nothing more?"

"And how he is holding up with the Infection."

For a long time, Alu stared at the woman. She didn't trust her, not at all. However, reluctantly, she nodded. Motioning for the Hunter to let go, she walked over to Taabish. She knelt down, holding his shoulders gently as she could, and sighed.

"Taa, you need to talk to this mean lady. It'll only be few minutes, but if you need help, just call. Yawp'll be there in a heartbeat," her voice was low. At his name, the Hunter chuffed slightly, hugging the youth tightly.

Taabish nodded, his brown eyes were curious, but he didn't protest. Walking over to Makaela, the two disappeared into the next room.

\-----

The kid knew this was a bad idea. He knew that he was putting everyone in the manor at risk, and the possibility of friendship with the group was very much in danger.

And he knew that, if he got caught, that Hunter would tear him to shreds.

Jace tried convincing the others to drop it. He even suggested catching a Hunter _other_ than Roanoke. However, all those attempts had resulted in getting slashed with a knife.

He'd be in charge of the experiments on Roanoke. They'd promised and signed that. It would be his first big project. The credit would all go to him, and when he found a cure, he'd-

Yet, what would be the cost?

Jace was startled out of his thoughts when something warm sat beside him on the couch. Really warm. A soft growl confirmed his guess, and he turned to face the Hunter.

This close, the Hunter's eyes were visible. Shadowed, but visible, and there was concern in them.

Another soft growl -more of a worried purr, Jace speculated- was voiced. As Roanoke drew his legs onto the couch, he sighed. The younger male flinched when the Hunter yawned, blood-stained teeth on full display, before relaxing as Yawp curled up.

Slowly, shakily, Jace reached out, touching the hooded figure's head. Roanoke didn't even grumble, just simply curled against the teen.

A warmth spread over the white-blonde's mind. A sense of companionship he hadn't had in many a-year.

Regret pained him.

\-----

When the two exited the room, the malicious smirk that twinged Makaela's lips made Alu's stomach drop. Yet... Taa didn't seem phased or anything. Not nervous, or scared, or angry. Though she doubted it, the redhead hoped what transpired wouldn't affect them.

With a snarl, Roanoke lunged from his spot beside Jace, nearly knocking Makaela flat on her ass. He snapped at her, once, before picking up the youth and returning to his spot beside Jace.

"Now, if that is _all_ , I'd like to show you the door." 

Rey's words seemed to startle the woman, and Alu caught the faintest sound of Yawp chuckling.

"Very well. Parker, Delia, Jace, let's go. Our business here is done."

The white-blonde winced, causing the Hunter beside him to growl dangerously. Alufa watched as the three others gathered their items, movements tensed and eyes darting to their demise, if he so chose.

There was hesitation in his eyes, but Jace stood to join them. He stopped, though, before he was in arm's reach.

"Jace, _now_. We don't have time for your shit."

"I.... No. I'm... I'm not going with you. What you're doing... What you're planning is _wrong_. And, and I'm not gonna go through with it. I thought long, a-and hard, and my answer is _**no**_ ," his voice was shaking, and the fear within it made Alu flinch.

What had these people done to this kid?

"Jace, quit your nonsense, or we'll take this to the higher-ups," Makaela spat, getting into his face with a malicious sneer, "and I'll make _sure_ that you'll lose your one chance of redemption. Got that?"

A low growl filled the room, the source moving into a crouch. The alpha flicked her eyes to him, and the stillness made her blood go cold.

_'Oh god, if she's not careful...'_

The brunette either didn't notice, or didn't care, and the other two had already exited. Instead, she got closer, making the boy take a step back.

"I-I'm not- I'm not going to go through with it, Makaela! I-it's wrong and bad and we don't need this, we can find a different source, a different-"

_"Shut the fuck up!"_

Jace yelped as the woman's knife sliced his cheek...

And she screamed when claws sliced her mouth.

Roanoke was livid, screaming his signature scream, inner irises blazing red, and teeth dangerously close to her throat.

Makaela flailed, shrieking profanities as she attempted to push the zombie off of her in vain. Ze and Rey instantly had their guns trained on the two who had re-entered (and drew their weapons on the Hunter), and Alu aimed her own at the struggling woman.

_**"Pack."** _

With that single, broken word, the room went silent. Very, very seldom could the Hunter form words. It was impossible, but it was always a shock. And the deep, gutteral growl it was said with made everyone freeze.

_**"Leave."** _

With that, Roanoke released Makaela from her hold, backing up. His muscles were still tensed, and he was very much ready to take her down, permanently.

But he allowed her to stand.

Shaking -with fear or rage, Alu couldn't tell- and clutching her bleeding mouth, Makaela got to her feet.

"You're a traitor, Jace. Keep your fucking pet. But so help me, your punishment will come. And I promise you, _you will wish you were never born_."

Blood spilled past her lips, staining her shirt a dark red. From what she could see, the wounds were deep, and Alufa was willing to get they'd scare horribly.

"I think you've overstayed your welcome. Get out now, before we have to clean up more bodies," the redhead spat, aiming her shotgun at the injured woman.

With one last hateful look, the trio left. Roanoke bolted towards Jace, who had since sunk to the floor, tears in his eyes and blood down his cheek. As Rey locked the door, Alufa approached the two. She watched as the Hunter cooed gently, taking the younger male into his arms and cradling him like a baby. The boy was sobbing, clutching the blood-stained hood like his life depended on it.

"You're safe now," Alu whispered, sitting beside them, "you're safe. No one will hurt you again."

Jace only whimpered.

\-----

A few months had passed, and the kid fell into step with the pack. The Hunter felt a sense of pride, purring lightly when the three younger members laughed, playing some kind of board game - _Life_ something?- with tiny "people".

Gray-eyes was giggling, babbling about something whilst gesturing towards the tiny vehicle holding six little people -- and the small group in front of her, unable to fit in. Beside her, Soft and Bird squabbled over something on the board.


End file.
